Today’s Harvest Blog

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) was signed into law over the July 4th holiday. The legislation, which passed the House on a 218-214 vote, generally extends, and in some cases amplifies, the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for farmers. Today's blog is the first in a multi-part series explaining significant changes to agricultural safety net programs included in the bill.

Many parts of the Northeast have faced a challenging planting season with wet weather and cool temperatures; now as summer kicks off, many are seeing significant stretches of above average temperatures. Given these recent extremes in weather conditions, a review of the tax implications of various crop insurance programs is warranted. 

As the region celebrates Dairy Month this June, the New York agricultural community has even more reason to cheer: Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced that $21.6 million has been awarded to 103 farms through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program.

As the Northeast experiences more extreme weather, heat stress is a growing concern for farmers and farm workers. Because they spend significant time outdoors doing physically demanding work, this population is particularly vulnerable to heat-related health effects.